Refrigerator food display case



Nov.` 2, 1937. w. c. PEDDlcoRD REFRIGERATGR- FOOD DISPLAYl CASE Filed Oct. 5, 1956 INVENToR .Z z

75124 ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 2, 1937 nEFnIGEaA'roa Foon DISPLAY cAsEg Louis W. C. Peddicord, Topeka., Kans., assignor oi' one-half to Richard R.

Kans.

Houdek, Topeka,

-Application October 3, 1936, Serial No.v103,891

Claims.-

provision of novel means for refrigerating and moistenmg the foga while the latter is so helt on display.

A further object of my invention is the provision of novel means for cooling and moistening the food held on display, which means is simple,

cheap, durable, not likely to get out of order,

which is sanitary, easily and quicklyrcleaned, and which is efficient in operation.

The novel features of my invention are hereinafter fully described and claimed.

Inthe accompanying drawing which illustr the preferred form of my invention,

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of my improved food display case.

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1, parts removed.

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 2-2 voi Fig. 2, ,parts removed.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinalsectional view of the air distributing tube on a plane extending obliquely downwardly and rearwardly through the discharge openings of the tube, as viewed in Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view through one of the refrigerating elements.

Similar charactersof reference designate similar parts in the different views.

I designates the body of my improved food display case which is provided with a refrigerating ates chamber 2, in the lower portion of which is pro` 0 vided a support for food articles, such as fruit or vegetables. Said support, as shown, comprises wire baskets 3 mounted upon two, longitudinal parallel angle bars 4 supported at their ends by the end walls of the case I, and disposed one in 5 front of and lower than the other, whereby the baskets 3 incline downwardly and forwardly at the rear of a front windowfS provided with transparent glass panes 6 slidable to and from a closed position, to permit the insertion and removal .of 0 the food articles, which,'when in the baskets, are

visible through the panes 6 from .the exterior.

The foregoing description applies in part to display cases in common use.

My improvement provides means for reirigerating the air in chamber 2 and forcing therefrigerated. air, which has been previously moisv tened, into contact with the food articles 1, shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2.

Any known suitable means may be provided 4ior refrigerating the air in chamber 2.' In the form shown, the refrigerating means is disposed in the chamber` 2 above the food support, and com-A prises metal boxes 8 adapted to contain ice 9 and mounted upon two horizontal parallel bars III, the ends of which are fastened to and sup- 10 ported by the ends-oi' the case I. The boxes 8 are each provided with air passageshaving downwardly converging conoidal walls I I.A

The front of the case I is provided with a door way I2 forward of the ice boxes 8, and through 15 which access may be had to said boxes,for the placing of cracked ice therein. A door I3 normally closes the doorway I2.

For catching waterwhich may drip from the baskets 3, and for humidifying the air in cham- 0 ber 2, a pan I4 rests on the door of the chamber under the baskets and contains water I5.

For forcing air,in the chamber 2 from below the baskets 3 to the upper part of thetchamber and thence in contact with the boxes 8 and the 25 ice 9 contained therein, and then downwardly into contact with the food articles I in the basketsA 3, i there is provided an electrically driven fan I6, which, when operated, forces air into the larger open endof a horizontal longitudinally disposed 30 pipe I'I of tapering form, which converges toward its smaller closed end, and which is supported at its ends respectively by lvertical vposts t8 mounted on the floor of the chamber 2.

'I'he under side of the pipe I1 is provided withl 35 air outlet means comprising perforations I9 which I face downwardly and rearwardly so as to discharge air from the pipe downwardly and rearwardly against the surface of the water I5 in the pan I4, thereby moistening the air so discharged. 46

For conducting the air so moistened from beiow` the baskets 3j upwardly to the upper part of the chamber 2, there is provided a partition/2li, located'at tlfe rear ofthe baskets 3 and for ard of and spaced from the rear wall of the ase I, thus providing a vertical air passage 2l. f e partition 20 has its upper end d ivergin/ rom the .rear wall and spaced from the top ofthe case lI. The lower end of the partition ,2l iiverges from the rear wall and is spaced from' and disposed 50 above the pan Il.

When the fan It is operated air in thev chamber 2 below the baskets 3 is forced into the pipe I1 and from there out through the perforations Il into contact with the water II.' which humidi- 55 function of enabling it to moisten the food articles 'l in the baskets 3,' and to lower the temper.- ature of the air.

Below the chamber 2 in the case i is provided a storage chamber 22, having front doors 23.

The oor of the chamber 2, which is ,the top of the chamber 22, is provided at the front and rear respectively of the pan i4 with passages 24 therethrough, which passages may be respectively closed by sliding doors 25 respectively mounted in guides 26 on the underside of the floor of chamber 2. By opening the doors 25, a circulation of air between the chambers 2 and 22 is .'obtained, when the fan I6 is operated.

With the use of my improved refrigerator food display case, food on display may be kept moist and cold. Water condensed from the air and on the food will drip from the baskets-3 into the pan i4; t

Various modifications of my invention, Within the scope of the appended claims, may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention. h

1. In combination with a refrigerator food display case having a chamber provided at the front with an observation window movable to and from a closed position for insertion or removal of food, and having above said window a doorway and a door therefor, and a food support in said cham ber at the rear of said window, refrigeratingY means in said chamber above saidsupport and at the rear of and accessible to through said doorway, air conducting means leading from below/ said support to a point higher than said refriger ating element, and means' for forcing air from below said support upwardly through said conducting means and then downwardly past and in contact with said refrigerating element and into contact with food on said support.

2. In combination with a refrigerator food dis` play case having a chamber provided at the front with anobservation window movable to and from a closed position for insertion and removal of food, and having a doorway and a door thereforA above said window, and a food` support in said chamber atthe rear of said window, refrigerating means in said chamber above said support and at the rear of and accessible to through said doorway, air conducting means leading in said chamber from below said support upwardly to apoint above said support, a water container in said chamber below said support, and means for forcing air from below said support in said chamber into contact with water-in said container and thence through said conducting means upwardly into contact with said refrigerating means and thence downwardly into contact with food on said .Support- 3. In combination with a refrigerator food display case having a chamber provided with an observation window, and a food support in said chamber in position for displaying food through said window, refrigerating means in said chamber, a water container in said chamber below said support, a tube having outlet means disposed so as to discharge air from said tube into contact with water in said container, air conducting means in said chamber leading from below to a point higher than said support, and means for "forcing air in said chamber from belowsaid support into said pipe and through said outlet means into contact with water in said container and thence upwardly through. said air conducting means past and incontact with said refrigerating means and thence downwardly into contact with food on said support.

4. In combination with a refrigerator food display case havinga chamber, and a food support in said chamber, 'refrigerating means in said chamber above said support, a pan in said cham# ber adapted to contain water and disposed under said food support in position to catch water dripping therefrom, air conducting means leading from below said support to a point in said chamber higher than said support, and means for forcing air in said chamber from below said support into contact with water in said pan and thence upwardly through said air conducting means into contact with said refrigerating means and thence downwardly into contact with food on said support. A

5. In combination with a refrigerator food displayvcase having a chamber, and a food support in said chamber, refrigerating means in said chamber above said food support comprising ice containing means provided with airconducting passages therethrough, air conducting means leading from below said support upwardly to a A point abovel said support, a water containing pan under said support located to catch water dripping from said support, a tube having air outlet means disposed to discharge against water in said pan, and ineans for forcing air in said chamber from below said Vsupport'into 'said tube and through said air outlet into contact with water in said pan and thence upwardly through said air conducting means above said refrigerating means and thence downwardly through said into contact with food o n said support.

LOIS W. C. PEDDICORD.

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